NUM Impala Platinum Refineries branch members are angry with management for refusing to accept their memorandum.

Following the unfair dismissal of comrade Rets Taole, NUM referred the matter to CCMA and as usual, CCMA found the dismissal unfair and ruled that Rets Taole be reinstated retrospectively. The company refused to reinstate him and decided to refer the matter to the labour court. However, the comrade was inhumanly victimized and humiliated by management and was removed from NUM Office when he came to prepare affidavits for the labour court.

Rets Taole is still a member of the NUM whilst his case is still handled by us let alone the fact that CCMA ruled that he be reinstated as an employee of Impala Platinum Refineries. .

The NUM strongly condemn this act of intimidation and victimization by HR to the aforementioned comrade and all other NUM members. There are a lot of ex-employees of Impala Refineries who are always seen in the premises and corridors of senior management and they were never denied access even in a single day. And yet comrade is denied access not to company corridors but denied access to the office of the recognised NUM.

The NUM, therefore, call upon “powers that might be” to correct and condemn this diabolic and uncalled-for behaviour of HR to mischievously devalue the workplace democracies and rights of employees which are legislated and regulated by statutes of labour in this country.

The NUM also noted the victimisation of shop stewards. The case of the alleged fraud by Frans Makau we demand a full report on the investigations done and what were the findings. We believe that if the investigation was not done and the company still continues to charge him, which could only mean that he is being targeted. We do have other cases whereby shop stewards will be victimised for raising issues as if they raise issues for their own benefit. We, therefore, call upon management to stop victimising shop stewards for being vocal about worker issues.

2. Transformation Issues

This is and will always be a great concern to the NUM hence every memorandum submitted to date raised displeasure on how management addresses this matter. We condemned lack and reluctance of Protection Services to advance transformation. After the retirement of the HOD in the aforementioned department HDSA was appointed and again management decided to downgrade the position from E-grade to D-grade. Is management trying to tell us that black employees are good to hold an office of HOD and yet don’t deserve to earn the same salary earned by their white counterparts? We are still waiting for the company to disclose to NUM how and when is the present HOD of Protection Service department going to be on the same partisan grade as the one vacated.

The NUM further condemn this contempt of window dressing and call upon management to unleash all potential and capacity and responsibilities of authority to those HDSA appointments in senior management. They should be able to make and take strategic decisions in the daily operation of the company business. They shouldn’t be remotely controlled. Management must respect and honour that protocol. It should not only call leadership when they encounter a problem for their blunders.

Again there were never issues before on a number of shop stewards because we are aligned the Recognition Agreement to the NUM Constitution.

3. Non-Compliance to SLP

The NUM would like the company to align its Social Labour Plan (SLP) with that of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Social Labour Plan. It must establish objectives and targets that could be monitored and measured in terms of the deliverables. We believe that for now the company’s SLP does not speak to that of the local municipality.

4. Breach of Company Policies

We have noted that the recruitment and promotions at Impala Platinum are deliberately ignored or are applied selectively. When one goes on retirement we are expecting that position to be advertised internally and if there is no suitable candidate it goes externally. We also acknowledge where an effort was made like in Protection Services. But it is a worrying factor that whenever an HSDA person occupies the position we see the downgrading of the same position and change of benefits.

The issue of downgrading and benefits it’s escalating now because more and more HDSA people are occupying the positions.

5. Training & Development

The NUM has noted that there will be retirement in other top management positions and we, therefore, want management to start preparing people for those positions. They must start acting and rotate in those positions.

6. Polygraph testing

The would like to get clarity on management regarding polygraph testing on contractors. It is our view that whenever the contractor wants to get rid of its employees they use polygraph testing and there is no way that person will pass the test if they don’t want him/her.

We, therefore, demand impala management instruct those contractors to stop exploiting our people in the name of failed polygraph and impala policies. This makes us to always doubt the validity and authenticity of this test

We call upon the management not to be scared of its own employees and address the concerns and grievances of its employees. The NUM cannot be held to ransom by Impala Platinum Refineries management.